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LAHORE: As ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived here from London on Sunday morning, a leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and close aide to Mr Sharif says that the party chief’s announcement to launch a movement for the rule of law is actually aimed at securing overwhelming majority in the next elections to go for ‘electoral reforms’ in the Constitution for deter­mining the limits of other state institutions.

“Mian sahib’s announcement of launching a movement for the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution in the country does not mean immediately going for any long march, sit-in or protest rallies. It has a larger context. The PML-N under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif will reach out to the masses and convince them that this party is the one that is going to ensure respect of its ballot and bring about

major judicial changes in the Constitution required to determine the limits of other state institutions so that in future an elected prime minister is not sent home without completing his constitutional term,” PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid told Dawn here on Sunday.

When asked if Mr Sharif’s movement was all about going for an aggressive election campaign, the PML-N Senator said: “Some 45 days ahead of the general election are enough for a political campaign. We have a strong organisational structure to reach out the people to send this message across.”

About holding public meetings in Punjab and elsewhere, Mr Rashid said: “The pace of our public meetings will not be that of Imran Khan. Holding public meeting is not the only platform to reach out to the masses. Probably this week a decision on the next public meeting is taken.”

Asked if Mr Sharif was looking for a two-thirds majority in parliament in the 2018 elections, Senator Rashid said: “We along with the like-minded parties will be able after next year’s elections to change the laws that are used against an elected prime minister.”

Before leaving London for Lahore, Mr Sharif again targeted the judiciary for what he said “adopting double standards in handling his case and that of PTI chief Imran Khan”.

Commenting on the apex court’s decision to reject Hanif Abbasi’s petition seeking disqualification of Imran Khan, Mr Sharif said: “I was disqualified in the Panama Papers case for not receiving a salary of a few thousand dirhams from my son’s company. But Imran Khan is acquitted despite admitting that he had made business transactions of hundreds of thousands of pounds through his offshore company Niazi Services Ltd. This double standard is not acceptable and I will launch a movement across the country with full force for supremacy of law and constitution.”

On his arrival on Sunday morning in Lahore, Mr Sharif chose not to speak to the media and left for his Jati Umra residence in Raiwind. His daughter Maryam also returned along with him. On Dec 5, the father and daughter had departed for London to see Kulsoom Nawaz who has been undergoing treatment for lymphoma (throat cancer) there.

Since the Supreme Court’s rejection of the National Accountability Bureau’s plea to reopen Hudaibya Paper Mills reference, there has been a lot of talk in the PML-N camp that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has got a ‘clean chit’ and become an automatic choice of the PML-N candidate for prime minister after the 2018 general elections.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid made it clear that it was premature to discuss who the PML-N would nominate for the prime minister candidate for the 2018 elections. “Nawaz Sharif will decide on this issue when time comes after taking party leaders on board,” he said, adding that there was nothing in the Hudaibya Paper Mills reference that was why it had to be closed.

Earlier, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada and some provincial ministers and legislators of PML-N had urged Nawaz Sharif to make Shahbaz Sharif party head for the greater interest of the party. This move could not get momentum in the party as Mr Sharif became eligible to head his party after the passage of controversial Elections Act 2017.

On DawnNews

Comments (9) Closed

Dr Javaid Khan

Dec 18, 2017 08:26am

PML N has no chance to get more than few dozen seats in the next election. Public is not fool to elect a party whose head has been disqualified by the highest court of the country. NS participating in election campaign would further destroy this party.

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Asad

Dec 18, 2017 08:43am

Is this Sharif character the best choice left for Pakistan? How much more time does the Pakistani public need to realize that this individual is corrupt, inept, dishonest, and non-deserving to be a leader?

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Anti-corruption

Dec 18, 2017 08:45am

Pervez Rashid is trying to save face. I believe NS actually meant to launch movement against the judiciary. Nevertheless even if whatever Pervez Rashid said is true, it shows that PML-N is interested in changing the laws only to benefit them and weaken the judiciary, where the politicians can loot without any fear of accountability.

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Akram Malik

Dec 18, 2017 09:09am

I do sincerely hope, that Nawaz's party or any party which supports his views, is not re-elected in the next election.

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Zulfiqar

Dec 18, 2017 09:27am

Senior PML-N members have probably told NS that they are not in the mood for street protests and he’s on his own. That’s probably why this clarification was required.

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Khan

Dec 18, 2017 09:58am

So Sharif still thinks that he can address any election gatherings??

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Hameesha Rathore

Dec 18, 2017 11:01am

Yes Mr. Rashid, everybody knows that PMLN has a very strong mechanism on the ground than can ensure majority for it even if none of its candidates hold any convassing session s. Afterall Shahbaz Sharif knows what needs to be done.

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Ghulam Nabi Mir

Dec 18, 2017 11:15am

10,000 Dirham per month may be a pittance for a royal like Nawaz Sharif but it means a year’s earningse for an average Pakistani. Besides what was the necessity for Nawaz Sharif to work in accompany owned by his son,with a declared salary ,unless there was an ulterior motive. Mr.Nawaz an average Pakistani does not understand matters of importance like you do, but they do smell when something is fishy .

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Irfan_Sydney

Dec 18, 2017 12:36pm

@Ghulam Nabi Mir Idon't know him, his company, his son, or anyones salary...nt at dt, but it failed.